UNFILTERED STORIES FROM OUR CLOSE FRIENDS WITH: DASHA DOVBENKO

In this interview, we delve into the world of Dasha Dovbenko, who share her inspirations and unique perspectives.

Introduce Yourself to the Casawi Community: What drives you? What's your artistic vision, and what sets you apart from the crowd?

My name is Dasha, and I've worked professionally as a mobile creator for over 7 years now. I create distinctive visual content for global and local brands. My main uniqueness comes down to two things, I think. First, I create all my work entirely on mobile devices — I only use mobile apps and work from my phone or tablet. Second, I'm inspired by contemporary art, and I love the emotions it evokes — I try to create content that triggers strong emotions in the viewer. What sets me apart from others, I'd say, is first the technique: I don't stick to one single method, I work across different creative directions — collage, 3D, graphic illustration — I might scan a random piece of paper I find on the street and use it in a piece. I really believe in this concept that the most important thing we have is creative thinking. Everything else — a pencil, clay, a phone, a computer, an app, AI, anything — is just a tool for bringing our ideas to life. And second, I create very unusual content that provokes real emotion in the viewer — I don't stick to brand books, I don't follow a brand's existing vision, I bring my own.

City Inspirations: How has your city influenced your artistic path? Share how its streets, culture, and energy have molded your work.

I was born in Belarus. I wouldn't say the city itself shaped me or my creative work — what really influenced my work were my adoptive parents, who were very creative people, and my father, who loved collage as a direction and instilled that love in me from childhood, showing me how it worked. So collage is the main direction I work in — I just keep transforming and reinventing it. I'd also say my love for contemporary art influenced me — I'm drawn to unusual, really unconventional work, and I love how contemporary art seeps into different creative fields.

Creative Process: What fuels your creativity? Whether it's a ritual, a muse, or a moment of clarity, we're keen to learn.

Two main directions are my sources of inspiration. The first is music. Music is probably one of the biggest ones — I experience a kind of synesthesia, where when I listen to music I sometimes see images forming in my head. I'm a real music lover, and any track — whether it's intense rock or pop — can send my work in a completely different direction, a different vibe. The second, as I mentioned before, is contemporary art. I love going to exhibitions, I love drawing inspiration from other creators and artists. I especially love studying contemporary artists — their biographies, their lives, how they found their creative path, what inspires them. I try out different creative practices that they share, just to stay inspired. People inspire me a lot.

City Lifestyle and Art: How the places you lived influenced your career and work?

I've traveled a lot, been to many places, and I've realized for certain that sunlight is what inspires me — I love warm countries, which is actually why I'm now planning a move to Spain. I spent some time in Turkey, and I find the sun incredibly inspiring — it really makes me want to create. If I'm somewhere with little sunlight, my inspiration tends to be pretty low too.

Latest or Upcoming Projects: Give us a glimpse into your current endeavors and what lies ahead on your creative journey.

Right now I have an enormous amount of work — after my creative journey and work got publicity, a huge number of both global and local brands reached out, which has actually allowed me to be selective about who I want to work with. So my main creative focus right now is working with these brands — it's a really interesting collaboration. Unfortunately, I can't go into the details of the projects right now, since working with major brands involves signing various NDAs, but it's going to be an interesting collaboration, and I think over the next six months I'll be able to gradually reveal what I'm working on. So the main direction right now is working with clients and creating. I'd also love to do a few personal exhibitions and show my work somewhere — a number of galleries have reached out wanting to exhibit my pieces, and I'd love to share my work with the world that way too. But overall, it's really just about creating and growing, because creativity is me — it's one of the most important things in my life. Family and creativity, I'd say, that's it.